1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to the field of computerized monitoring, data gathering and data processing systems, and, more particularly, to a computerized airport/aircraft operations monitoring system that monitors information that may include flight information data, gate information data, airport/airline ground support equipment data and facilities data in a single integrated system and allows processing of this data (into operational and management processes for the betterment of operations, processes and services).
2. Description of the Related Art
Managing airport operations is a very complex matter involving many factors. Coordination of the actions of many people and equipment is required to insure that flight operations are conducted in an efficient manner. Additionally, airline companies are constantly under tremendous pressure to reduce costs and improve the overall efficiency of all airport operations as they relate to aircraft and equipment handling.
Traditionally, airports and/or airlines may employ many separate and independent monitoring systems for monitoring airport/aircraft operations. For example, an airline/airport may employ a separate system for monitoring flight information, a separate gate management system for tracking various aspects associated with the gates where aircraft are supported and serviced and at which equipment will load and offload passengers, a separate baggage management system for tracking various aspects of the baggage handling system, a separate facilities management system for tracking facility systems such as HVAC, lighting controls, people movers and, in some cases, a separate system for tracking airline/airport ground operations equipment. The flight information system is generally used to keep track of the details of arrival and departure times at the gate(s) (both expected and actual) of aircraft. The separate gate management system is used to determine the status of a particular gate, i.e., is it occupied or open, and the expected time that the gate will be available for the next scheduled aircraft. The system is also used to track the operational condition of the equipment, it will show alarm conditions, operation status, hours of operation, i.e., personnel charged with the responsibility of managing airport/aircraft operations have to consult all of these five separate systems in making various decisions as to what aircraft are routed to which gates, when such gates were available and the arrival of the aircraft at the destination airport.
As indicated above, this is a very complex problem that must take into account many interrelated factors. As many frequent travelers know, despite the best efforts of airline personnel, there are occasions when such a system breaks down as it relates to the efficient delivery of service to the traveling public. The results of such delays are reflected in planes having to remain at the gate for unscheduled periods of time on the ground away from a gate for extended periods of time until a gate becomes available. Even then, there may be delays associated with various support equipment and personnel as it relates to fully servicing the aircraft and providing required devices to the passengers. As examples, using the prior art systems, delivery of baggage to the traveling public might be delayed or prevented due to baggage system outages or unavailability of baggage unloading equipment, food and beverage vendors may not be available to restock supplies on the aircraft, and fuel trucks may not be available to rapidly refuel the airplane for its next trip.
As indicated above, the airline industry is under constant pressure to reduce costs. For example, on an airplane, an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) supplies electrical power to the aircraft and allows the airpacks to cool/or heat the aircraft to insure passenger comfort. The APU is a small auxiliary turbine engine on the aircraft, e.g., a rear tail engine, that is very expensive to operate, e.g., on the order of approximately $75 per minute for fuel and maintenance. Ideally, when a plane arrives at a gate, a ground power unit (GPU) is promptly coupled to the airplane, thereby providing a source of electric power for the entire airplane. Additionally, a ground-based air conditioning unit, if available, may be used to air condition the aircraft. The prior art systems did not provide an effective management system for insuring that all such related activities were performed in a coordinated manner such that services could be delivered to the traveling public in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
The present invention is directed to various methods for solving, or at least reducing the effects of, some or all of the aforementioned problems.